Megachurch Pastor Sued By Couple for $6.6 Million, Says He Had Sex With Man's Wife While in Marriage Counseling
Pastor
Dale Lee McFarland is known for his role in the "Purpose Driven Church"
movement. He left his position as a Microsoft executive to start a
megachurch in Arizona and travel the world with evangelist Rick Warren.
McFarland's congregation, Radiant Church in Surprise, Arizona
received the Church Health Award from Purpose Driven Ministries and had
grown to be one of the largest Assemblies of God churches in the
country.
It all came to an interesting halt when
earlier this year, a couple in the church filed a lawsuit, Courthouse
News reports, alleging McFarland told the wife to have sex with him with
"God's approval" and divorce her husband.
Derek and Jody Gallagher claim McFarland
"breached his duty as a pastor and counselor when [he] began
manipulating a vulnerable Jody for his personal, perverted sexual
pleasures."
World Net Daily reported:
The Gallaghers' sordid story includes charges McFarland told Jody her husband was "dangerous" and convinced her to change her home's locks, sent her salacious and pornographic messages, exchanged nude photographs with her and manipulated her into having sex with him in the church building, even while he was offering the couple marriage counseling.
The Gallaghers, who are reportedly still married and seeking counseling elsewhere, are suing McFarland, Radiant Church Assembly of God and the Arizona District Council of the Assemblies of God in Maricopa County Court for:
- $6.6 million
- claiming breach of fiduciary duty
- intentional infliction of emotional distress
- negligent infliction of emotional distress
- and other claims.
McFarland, meanwhile, is no longer employed at Radiant Church, and in fact, the church has scrubbed all mention of him from its website.
While
this has occurred, many of whom had their reservations about the
Purpose Driven movement and its founder, Rick Warren, are now renewing
their criticism.
As many may know, Rick Warren, the founder and pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., is also the author of "The Purpose Driven Life," and claimed to be the best-selling nonfiction book in world history, next to the Bible.
But
Warren's critics have claimed his Purpose Driven ministry emphasizes
only doing good, while dodging the kind of biblical repentance that is
needed for a person - or a pastor - to have their life transformed by
Christ. The Purpose Driven Church model, or PDC, discounts the fear of
the Lord, Warren's critics say, while encouraging pastors to become
"masters" of their churches instead of servants.
James Sundquist, author of "Who's Driving the Purpose Driven Church?"
is one of the voices in a new video by producer Elliott Nesh called
"Church of Tares," which asserts Warren has built his organizations upon
secular business management philosophies rather than the foundation of
Jesus Christ, resulting in "a great compromise of the Great Commission."
"In all fairness to Rick Warren, there is no direct connection between him and what this pastor is being sued for regarding sexual exploitation," Sundquist told WND. "But there is an indirect connection in that Purpose Driven pastors are pastor as master and [are taught] psychotherapy and enforced covenants, [which can be] used to exploit a vulnerable member. McFarland's struggles are not unique to Purpose Driven churches, but PDC is a template for abuse."
"The fear of the Lord and the wrath of God and the total depravity of man are either not taught at all or are watered down in Warren's PDC programs, so that church growth formulas and seeker-sensitive people are not offended," Sundquist continued. "Now all of the right sermons on fear of the Lord and the wrath of God could be preached and adultery could still happen, but ... if these things are not preached, how can we be surprised that these things happen in a church?"
Church Scandal Report's Take:
We just want to know when will some of the women in counseling with the
pastors stop falling for the lies? If they are in counseling for their
marriage issues, don't they know that sleeping with the pastor will
create another issue? Doesn't a sound minded and adult person know that
God would never approve of this? Do they have something in their hearts
before seeking the pastor's help? We are not blaming the women per say
but an adult woman knows right from wrong and can they really call
themselves victims? The pastor can still very well be called out on his
actions but the women need to stop falling prey or allowing the acts to
occur. This does not please God.
